Kendrick’s directorial debut is promising, but not entirely successful

Academy Award-nominated actress Anna Kendrick has starred in a variety of films that capture the varied experiences of her female characters. For the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, she will direct and star in a tragic, true-life story that intertwines one young woman’s hopes of making it in Hollywood and a hit show from the 1970s. Dating game.

It’s also a TV show that was once hosted by Rodney Alcala, a contestant who turned out to be a serial rapist and murderer and whose appearance coincided with his killing spree. Woman of the Hour details the events leading up to his television debut and his eventual date with Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick). While showing good potential overall, Kendrick’s directorial debut is hampered by tonal imbalances and poor editing.

The story follows Cheryl Bradshaw as she adjusts to life in Los Angeles. Desperate to make his mark in Hollywood, Bradshaw spends his days practicing lines for upcoming auditions and going to bars at night with his neighbor. When her manager calls with what she calls an opportunity to get Cheryl noticed, Bradshaw ends up on a hit television series. Dating game. Unfortunately for Cheryl, that’s where serial killer Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) ends up, and he’s right in the middle of a killing spree.

‘Woman of the Hour’ Disappoints Despite Its Huge Potential

It’s unfortunate to admit, but Kendrick’s directorial debut doesn’t live up to its potential. From the opening sequence, where we see a young woman pouring out her heart to Alcala Zovatto (who does a good job of balancing creepiness and charm), there is a jumbled shift in tone midway through the conversation. As the story progresses, things don’t change much as the film moves between the perspectives of the two main characters. In Bradshaw’s case, the script takes a more light-hearted approach to storytelling to satirize a young actress’ process of failure and navigating this world as a woman.

While it works in isolation, the abrupt cuts to the murder/rape scenes feel out of place and leave us feeling uncomfortable in many ways. The editing also didn’t do Kendrick’s feature-length debut any favors. It’s clear that Bradshaw and Alcala’s stories will need to be told separately before they come together, but the editing is a mess, which also contributes to the one-sided tones.

What’s worse is that the transitions in question leave us little opportunity to process the episodes they’ve just witnessed, especially when it’s an emotionally difficult episode centered around violence. So, when memories of sexual violence appear around you, Dating game the conversations (which are clearly intended to provoke laughter) seem completely inappropriate. Ultimately these are poor storytelling decisions, essentially feeling like two separate films in one.

Anna Kendrick finds a way to take us back to history

Kendrick truly finds a way to bring his viewers back through his influence in front of and behind the camera. Her direction is promising – she uses her camera angles to move from curiosity and hope to devastation right from the start. Likewise, she shows much-needed restraint when depicting scenes of violence. Of course, that’s to be expected in 2023, but her decisions here are still noteworthy.

Kendrick looks stunning and charming in front of the camera. She is so easy to root for and understands exactly what her character needs. Perhaps, with more support, Kendrick will find another opportunity to show his talent in the director’s chair. It is worth noting that all is not lost Woman of the Hour. By normal entertainment standards, the film has everything it needs to hold your attention. However, it could definitely give us more.

The police failed these women who were victims of The Dating Game Killer, but the script makes minimal effort to demonstrate this. Additionally, the overall story could have leaned a little more into commentary on dating in the 1970s and the differences between men and women. Despite these setbacks, overall this is a fine debut. And with a wide theatrical release, I have no doubt that people will find Kendrick.

Woman of the Hour is now available to stream on Netflix. The film runs 95 minutes and is not rated.